The Blue Hose rallied back from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth set, but Winthrop proved too much at the end, taking the 3-2 win over the Presbyterian College volleyball team in Big South action Friday night in Rock Hill, S.C. Winthrop won the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-23, but dropped the next two, 25-20 and 25-20. The Eagles earned the decisive fifth set win with the 15-10 score.

Scoring the MatchIn a tight first set, PC trailed by just one, 13-14, until a 5-1 run by Winthrop gave the Eagles one of their largest leads of the set. The Blue Hose scored two unanswered to cut the margin to three, 16-19, but it was Winthrop with another run, this one, 6-2, to give the home team the 25-18 win.

The Blue Hose led 14-11 in the second set, and again at 16-13, but Winthrop rattled off five straight as part of an 8-1 run, to take a 21-17 lead. PC responded with three straight, helped in part to a Sydney DeJong kill and a Caroline Henderson block, to cut the margin to one, 21-20. It was the beginning of a 6-1 run for PC as the visitors went ahead 23-22. Winthrop rebounded with three unanswered to win set two, 25-23.

After PC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in set three, Winthrop scored the next five in a row to take a 5-3 lead. Both teams traded points with a De Jong block tying the set at 111-11. What followed were six ties, as both teams battled back and forth. De Jong gave PC a 19-18 lead off a kill. It ignited four straight, including back to back aces from Erin Eulitz, to give PC a 22-18 lead. Winthrop got two back but PC won the final three points to take set three, 25-20.

Trailing 13-15 in the back and forth fourth set, PC used a 5-0 run, which included three kills from Eulitz, to take an 18-15 lead. Winthrop got a point back but the Blue Hose rattled off three more to keep the 21-16 lead. PC capitalized on a Winthrop error to take set point, 24-17, but the Eagles scored three unanswered to make it 24-20. That would be it as a Eulitz kill gave PC the 25-20 fourth set win, forcing a fifth.

Winthrop took an early 6-3 lead before PC rallied with four straight to take a 7-6 lead. The Eagles then turned a 6-2 run into a 12-9 lead. PC made it 12-10 off a block assist from Henderson and Ashton Stewart, but the Eagles answered with three straight to take the 15-10 set and match win.

Player of the MatchErin Eulitz finished with a team-leading 14 kills, with Sydney De Jong close behind with 10. Caroline Henderson added a career-high 33 digs, with Daley Gosnell in second with 21. Megan Jones recorded three service aces in the five-set loss. Phoebe Wu led Winthrop with 16 kills, with Carlie Skelton pacing the squad with 22 digs.

Stat of the MatchWinthrop posted 17 more kills, 65-48, but had 12 more errors, 35-23, with the Blue Hose holding the .144-.142 advantage in attack percentage. PC also held the service ace edge, 9-5, with digs even at 94 each.

NotablesThe 94 digs tied for fourth in the PC DI record books for digs in four sets. The 94 is tied for fifth overall.Caroline Henderson’s career-high 33 digs is sixth in the five-set record, and seventh overall.Allie Wright recorded a career-high seven digs.

For the RecordPC drops to 4-11 overall and 1-2 in the Big South, while Winthrop improves to 10-6, 2-1.

Up NextThe Blue Hose are next at Charleston Southern Saturday, Sept. 30, for a 3 p.m. match.